PawSox trio on path to majors

Credit: Nancy Lane

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — As the Pawtucket Red Sox took the field on Tuesday night, shortstop Jose Iglesias sprinted at power-hitting third baseman Will Middlebrooks and jumped on his back. A few feet away, Ryan Lavarnway pulled on his catcher’s mask to ready for a night behind the plate.

The three players stood out like beacons in a PawSox lineup that suddenly features the future of the Red Sox.

Not since 2005, when Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Jonathan Papelbon spent time at McCoy Stadium, have the PawSox boasted three players as exciting as this current trio.

In Middlebrooks, 23, they boast a prototypical power-hitting third baseman who has drawn comparisons to Scott Rolen for his combination of glove and bat.

In Iglesias, 22, they have a player many already consider the greatest defensive shortstop in franchise history, even though he has yet to play a game in the big leagues.

And in Lavarnway, 24, they have a slugging catcher coming off a 32-homer season.

Needless to say, these are exciting times.

“I’d definitely rather have it that way than the other way,” said PawSox hitting coach Gerald Perry with a laugh when asked about instructing such top-tier talent. “Just keep working with them, and hopefully they keep improving. Whatever happens, happens. They all have the ability. The key is to continue working and staying healthy.”

While Middlebrooks has drawn most of the headlines for his blistering start, Iglesias and Lavarnway are no slouches, either.

There was a clamoring for Iglesias to open the season with the Red Sox, thanks to his defensive wizardry. The Sox sent him down, however, to work on his hitting, which remains a work in progress.

Iglesias is batting .206 with a .515 OPS, numbers no glove can justify. However, the quality of his at-bats has improved.

“I feel very good at the plate, trying to move runners, get on base, have some good ABs,” Iglesias said. “I think I’ve been doing very good with that. I’ve just got to keep my approach.”

The approach has been an issue, since Iglesias has been known to swap batting stances like a day trader.

“We’ve been working on a few things,” Perry said. “When he’s staying with the program, he’s definitely been getting better. The more he does, the better he’ll get. He asks a lot of questions and wants to learn.

“He’s been a lot more patient and trusting in his ability more. To be a good hitter at any level, you can’t be afraid to get jammed or hit with two strikes. You put those two together with trust in your hands, he’s going to be a lot better off.”

That leaves Lavarnway, who Perry described as snakebitten. He’s batting .271 with a pair of homers.

“His numbers speak for themselves the last couple of years, being an organizational player of the year,” Perry said. “He hasn’t had a whole lot of luck. He’s had a lot of bad luck hitting the ball at people and hitting the ball into the wind. He makes the adjustments. He’ll lay off the tough pitches and shorten up with two strikes. His two-strike approach has been really good, and he’s using the whole field, too.”

That field may soon be Fenway for all three.

“We’re all having fun,” Iglesias said. “We enjoy the game. Everyone’s here for the same reason, and that’s to win.”